The present invention relates to a lifting gear which is arranged so that its load-sheave can be driven by a portable mechanical-driving equipment such as an electric driver or a portable manual-driving equipment such as a handle manually rotated.
Generally-used lifting gears are classified into those of a manual type having a chain that is manually moved or a lever that is manually rotated and those of electric type having an electric motor.
These lifting gears of the manual type and the electric type have almost the same construction except whether the driving means for driving the load-sheave is a chain or a lever, or an electric motor.
FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view showing a conventional lifting gear of the manual type. This lifting gear is provided with: a load-sheave 100 for shifting a sinuate body such as a load chain in the longitudinal direction; a rotatable shaft body at transmission side 101 that penetrates the load-sheave 100; a ring body (a hand chain wheel) 102 that is threadedly engaged to one end of the shaft body 101 so as to rotate forwardly or reversely in an interlocked manner with the shifting operation of a chain (driving means); a braking mechanism (mechanical brake) 103 that transmits the forward rotation of the ring body 102 to the shaft body 101, and also applies a braking force to the reverse rotation of the shaft body 101 thereof; a cover body 104 for covering the ring body 102; a reduction gear mechanism 105 installed between the other end of the shaft body 101 and the load-sheave 100; a pair of side plates 106 supporting the load-sheave 100; and a gear cover 107 that is attached to one of the side plates 106. Thus, the chain, passed and latched around the circumferential portion of the ring body 102, is operated and shifted so as to forwardly or reversely rotate the ring body 102 so that the load-sheave 100 is driven by a torque transmitted through the braking mechanism 103 and through the shaft body at transmission side 101 and the reduction gear mechanism 105.
Moreover, those of the electric type have an arrangement in which: although not shown in the Figure, the ring body 102, the braking mechanism 103 and the cover body 104 are omitted therefrom, and a motor housing containing an electric motor is connected to one of the side plates, and the driving shaft of the electric motor is coupled to one end of the shaft body at transmission side so that the load-sheave is forwardly or reversely driven by the electric motor through the shaft body at transmission side and the reduction gear mechanism.
Here, as compared with that of the electric type, the lifting gear of the manual type, which uses a chain or a lever as the driving means, is compact and light-weight, and easily applicable to cases other than those hanged from the ceiling, and it is constructed at low costs; in contrast, since the load-sheave has to be manually operated, greater labor is required.
On the contrary, the lifting gear of the electric type using an electric motor as the driving means requires smaller labor as compared with those of the manual type; however, it is bulky and heavy as compared with those of the manual type, the application is limited to those cases hanged from the ceiling, and it also requires high costs.
One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a lifting gear which can use a portable mechanical-driving equipment, such as an electric driver commercially available as an electric tool, as a driving means for the load-sheave without the need for incorporating it in the lifting gear, by providing a power connecting portion for coupling the portable driving equipment to the rotary body for rotating the load-sheave.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a lifting gear in which, in the case of the portable mechanical-driving equipment of a charging type, even if the battery runs short, the load-sheave can be driven by providing a handle detachably attached to the power connecting portion or a chain latch portion on which an operative chain is latched.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a lifting gear in which the rotary body is divided into a shaft body at input side that is inserted into a hole that allows the power connecting portion to expose to the outside of the frame and an interlock body that is interlocked with the load-sheave so that the portable driving equipment is easily coupled to the power connecting portion.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a lifting gear in which: it is possible to prevent the shaft body from sticking out of the frame, and also to prevent damages to the power connecting portion, by allowing the shaft body to be drawn from the hole when not used, and when used, coupling to the portable driving equipment is available by inserting the shaft body into the hole of the frame.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a lifting gear in which: it is possible to prevent damages to the shaft body at input side due to bending load and also to reduce power loss of the portable driving equipment, by providing the hole as a fitting hole to which the shaft body is fitted or attaching a bearing sleeve to the hole.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a lifting gear in which the load-sheave can be driven by a remote operation by providing a flexible-type shaft body.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a lifting gear in which, even when a charging-type electric driver commercially available as an electric tool is used as the portable mechanical-driving equipment, the load-sheave can be driven at a speed identical to that of a generally-used manual type which can generate a sufficient torque to lift a predetermined load, by providing a reduction mechanism.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a lifting gear in which, even when the shaft body at input side is rotated without a load applied thereon, the load-sheave can be driven without the rotation of the frame, by using a reduction mechanism having a planetary gear.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the first aspect which is a lifting gear having a load-sheave for shifting a sinuate body in the longitudinal direction and a rotary body for rotating the load-sheave in an interlocked manner with the driving means, the rotary body is provided with a power connecting portion that can be coupled to the driving means using a portable driving equipment.
In the first aspect, since the rotary body for rotating the load-sheave is provided with the power connecting portion that can be coupled to the driving means that uses a portable driving equipment, a portable mechanical-driving equipment, such as a charging-type electric driver commercially available as an electric tool, is coupled to the power connecting portion so that the portable mechanical-driving equipment is used as the driving means for the load-sheave; thus it is possible to reduce labor required as compared with that of a manual type. Moreover, since a manually operable construction is provided without the need for incorporating the portable driving equipment into the lifting gear, the lifting gear is compact and light-weight as compared with those of the electric type, and easily applicable to cases other than those hanged from the ceiling, and it is constructed at low costs.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the second aspect that has a modified construction of the first aspect, a frame for covering the load-sheave and the rotary body is provided, and a hole that allows the power connecting portion to expose to the outside is formed in the frame.
In the second aspect, since the hole that allows the power connecting portion to expose to the outside is formed in the frame covering the load-sheave and the rotary body, the frame makes it possible to prevent the rotary body from contacting other things and being damaged, and the portable driving equipment is easily coupled to the power connecting portion.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the third aspect that has a modified construction of the second aspect, the rotary body is provided with the power connecting portion, and divided into the shaft body at input side to be inserted into the hole and the interlock body that is moved in an interlocked manner with the load-sheave.
In the third aspect, since the power connecting portion is placed outside the frame, the portable driving equipment is coupled to the power connecting portion more easily.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the fourth aspect which has a modified construction of the third aspect, the shaft body at input side is allowed to be drawn from the hole.
In the fourth aspect, it is possible to prevent the shaft body at input side having the power connecting portion from protruding outward from the frame, when not used, and consequently to prevent damages to the power connecting portion; moreover, when used, coupling to the portable driving equipment is easily made by inserting the shaft body at input side into the hole of the frame.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the fifth aspect which has a modified construction of the third or the fourth aspect, the hole is provided as a fitting hole to which the shaft body at input side is fitted.
In the fifth aspect, in the case when the portable driving equipment is coupled to the power connecting portion with the power of the portable driving equipment being transmitted to the shaft body at input side, even if a bending load is imposed on the shaft body at input side, the bending load is applied to the fitting hole from the shaft body at input side; therefore, it is possible to properly prevent damages to the shaft body at input side due to the bending load.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the sixth aspect which has a modified construction of the third or the fourth aspect, a bearing sleeve having a fitting hole to which the shaft body is fitted is attached to the hole.
In the sixth aspect, the bending load, imposed on the shaft body at input side, is applied to the bearing sleeve that is a member separated from the frame; therefore, as compared with cases without the bearing sleeve, it is possible to reduce the rotation resistance of the shaft body at input side, and consequently to decrease power losses in the portable driving equipment.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the seventh aspect which has a modified construction of the sixth aspect, the hole is provided as a threaded hole, and the bearing sleeve has a screw that is screwed to the threaded hole.
In the seventh aspect, the shaft body at input side, which is fitted and held in the fitting hole, is easily attached to the frame together with the bearing sleeve, and the shaft body at input side is also removed together with the bearing sleeve by loosening the bearing sleeve.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the eighth aspect which has a modified construction of the third or fourth aspect, the shaft body at input side is provided with, at one end, a link portion which is connected to the interlock body, and the shaft body is also provided with, at the other end, a flexible shaft having the power connecting portion, a flexible tube that rotatably houses the flexible shaft, and a bearing sleeve that is connected to one end of the flexible tube and has a fitting hole to which the flexible shaft is fitted.
In the eighth aspect, in the same manner as that of a generally used manual type using a chain as the driving means, the load-sheave can be driven by a remote control.
The lifting gear in accordance with the ninth aspect, which has a modified construction of the third, fourth or eighth aspect, is provided with a handle that is detachably attached to the power connecting portion.
In the ninth aspect, even in the case when the portable mechanical-driving equipment, such as a charging-type electric driver commercially available as an electric tool, runs short of power in the battery, or when the portable mechanical-driving equipment becomes out of order, the handle can be attached to the power connecting portion instead of the portable mechanical-driving equipment so that the load-sheave is driven by a manual rotating operation; thus, the hoisting work can be continued.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the 10th aspect, which has a modified construction of the third aspect, the interlock body is provided with a shaft body at transmission side facing the shaft body at input side in the shaft length direction, a ring body that is threadedly engaged to the shaft body at transmission side so as to rotate forwardly or reversely, a braking mechanism that transmits the forward rotation of the ring body to the shaft body at transmission side and applies a braking force to the reverse rotation of the shaft body at transmission side; and a reduction mechanism is installed between the ring body and shaft body at input side.
In the 10th aspect, the rotation of the portable mechanical-driving equipment forming the driving means is reduced and transmitted to the ring body; therefore, even when an electric driver of a charging type commercially available as an electric tool is used as the portable mechanical-driving equipment, the load-sheave is driven at a speed identical to that of a generally-used manual type that can generate an enough torque to lift a predetermined load. The electric driver, which generally has a rotation speed that is so fast as compared with the manual-type lifting gear generally used that it fails to exert a sufficient torque to lift a predetermined load; however, the incorporation of the reduction mechanism makes it possible to use such a commercially available electric driver.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the 11th aspect which has a modified construction of the 10th aspect, the reduction mechanism is provided with an input gear to which the rotation force of the shaft body at input side is inputted, a planetary gear that revolves around the input gear so as to transmit its revolution force to the ring body, and a ring-shaped sun gear that supports the planetary gear inside the frame.
In the 11th aspect, the planetary gear transmits its revolution force to the ring body while revolving around the shaft body at input side facing the shaft body at transmission side in the shaft length direction; therefore, even in the case when the shaft body at input side is rotated by the portable mechanical-driving equipment with no load applied thereto, it is possible to prevent a rotation torque from occurring on the frame, and consequently to drive the load-sheave without the rotation of the frame.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the 12th aspect which has a modified construction of the 10th or 11th aspect, the ring body is provided with a chain latch portion on the outer circumference thereof on which an operable chain is latched.
In the 12th aspect, since the chain latch portion is placed on the outer circumferential portion of the ring body, a generally-used manual-type chain is used as the driving means; thus, by using this chain, the load-sheave can be driven in the same manner as the generally-used manual-type lifting gear.
In a lifting gear in accordance with the 13th aspect, at one end of a shaft body at transmission side that rotatably penetrates a load-sheave for shifting a sinuate body in the longitudinal direction are installed a ring body that is threadedly engaged to the shaft body so as to rotate forwardly or reversely in an interlocked manner with a driving means, a braking mechanism that transmits the forward rotation of the ring body to the shaft body and applies a braking force to the reverse rotation of the shaft body, and a cover body for covering the ring body; and between the other end of the shaft body at transmission side and the load-sheave is installed a reduction gear mechanism. In this arrangement, inside the cover body are installed: a power connecting portion that can be coupled to the driving means using a portable driving equipment, a shaft body at input side that faces the shaft body at transmission side in the shaft length direction and a planetary reduction mechanism which has an input gear to which the rotation force of the shaft body at input side is inputted, a planetary gear that revolves around the input gear so as to transmit its revolution force to the ring body and a ring-shaped sun gear that engages the planetary gear.
In the 13th aspect, the construction is achieved by modifying a generally-used manual-type cover body so as to incorporate the planetary reduction mechanism into the cover body; therefore, the load-sheave can be driven in the same manner as an electric-type lifting gear with a slight cost increase as compared with the manual-type lifting gear.
In the lifting gear in accordance with the 14th aspect which has a modified construction of the 13th aspect, a bearing sleeve having a fitting hole to which the shaft body at input side is fitted is attached to the cover body, and a power connecting portion is placed outside the bearing sleeve.
In the 14th aspect, since a bending load, imposed on the shaft body at input side, is applied to the bearing sleeve, the rotation resistance of the shaft body can be reduced as compared with the case without the bearing sleeve, thereby making it possible to reduce power losses.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description with accompanying drawings.